"And they lived happily ever..." after is the motto that seems to be promoted by our very own Bollywood. Same old formulas are becoming cliched for anyone and everyone watching these films. Creativity seems to be diminishing in Bollywood, and perhaps that explains the sudden shift of film stars to theatre. Theatre has always been the most dominant mode of acting, unfortunately it gets very little recognition in comparison to films. But this has not stopped film people to join theatre. A realistic place, with less extravagant sets and lesser money, Theatre still satisfies creative urges. Stars of all caliber have joined the brigade. And the trend has changed over the years. The lure of the silver screen tempted everyone who was anyone to venture out into Bollywood. But in recent times, a reverse trend is occurring. Everyone is shifting focus to Theatre. Take for e.g. some Bollywood stars .A top actress of yesteryears, a career oriented woman, a mother of two, made a comeback into the industry. Poonam Dhillon has finally made an entry into theatre with the play" Perfect Husband". Seeing Poonam Dhillon play the role of a wife in reel life is different than seeing her play it on stage.
Similarly, Rati Agnihotri also ventured into theatre with the play ' Divorce Me Darling". Following closely in her footsteps are actresses Sheeba (Yeh Dil Maange More) and Ayesha Jhulka. Anchor, Actor, and now Theatre Actor, Farooq Sheikh was seen recently in "Azhar Ka Khwab", an adapatation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. There have been several actors who have been lured by theatre and done different plays, usually or sometimes adaptations of various playwrights. But his foray into theatre is different format that of others. Anupam Kher is shown in a very different light in the play" Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hain". An autobiographical play, it spans the entire life and career of this talented actor. Written by Feroz Khan and Ashok Patole, the play is a one actor show, that will highlight Kher's life moments that range from the most embarrassing to the most memorable. As Anupam Kher asserts in an interview " .... Though my play is about disasters, its tone is optimistic...". The play is about courage and hope".
The question arising here is how creditable are their performances? Do audiences just see the respective plays because of the star cast or because they are worthy of being applauded? Does a play become attractive only if it promises big stars who try their luck at theatre? This is in no way an insult to these actors, but just curiosity as to how audiences function and how these actors judge their acting capabilities. There have been brilliant performances by Rati Agnihotri, Farooq Sheikh, and several others. But are they as brilliant in theatre as they were in films? The results are for all to see. Once again, we become critics, of not films, but of film personalities who act, not on the silver screen, but on a small stage before an audience starved of good performances.
